Panel supporting structure



De- 21, 1965 M. A. BERMAN ETAL 3,224,153

PANEL SUPPORT ING STRUCTURE nanna] Jjfwa n/la Merli/ygef' United States Patent O 3,224,153 PANEL SUPPORTING STRUCTURE Marvin A. Berman, Highland Park, and Albert Mayer, Cicero, Ill., assignors to Capitol Hardware Mfg. Co. Inc., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed Apr. 16, 1962, Ser. No. 187,685 1 Claim. (Cl. 52-495) This invention relates to structures having utility for supporting and maintaining in an upright position panels or the like. In its more specific aspects this invention relates to improved retaining or holding units, more cornmonly referred to in the trade as panel clips, which in combination with slotted substantially vertical supporting elements or standards provide means for erecting either single or double panelled partitions, walls or the like.

The utilization of slotted standards in the construction of shelving, partitions, walls, display stands, and the like, for commercial and household applications provides a convenient and eil'icient means for attaining a desired effect in the shortest possible time and at a minimum cost. The readiness with which such support elements can be varied in length, their lightweight yet durable character, and their portability and maneuverability have, in addition to the important time and cost factors involved, contributed to their widespread use.

In numerous instances, slotted standards not only serve as support elements for brackets for shelving or hangrods, for example, but also provide support for panels which act as backings for the shelving or hangrods, if such is the case, or simply function to provide wall surfaces. Frequently, especially in the erection of partitions or wall constructions subject to greater stresses, specially constructed standards are utilized some of which are provided with channels suitably permanently secured on one or both sides of each standard and extending along the entire length thereof. Customarily, such channelled or indented standards are first anchored in place and the panels then installed by inserting them at the top of the channels and lowering them into position.

In panelled structures, such as display stands, where the strength characteristics provided by such indented or channelled standards are not usually required, panelling may be conveniently supported between the standards by means of panel clips. Such clips have been adapted to engage with the bracket slots in the front face of the standards, where they occupy slots which otherwise could be used for receiving support brackets. The clips are generally fastened to the panel with a screw, the panel having been pre-drilled to accommodate the screw at the point of fastening.

Although channel carrying standards and panel clips of the type mentioned function satisfactorily to provide support for panels, or the like, in constructions wherein they find utility, there are certain disadvantages in their use from the standpoint of time expended, convenience, and efficient utilization of bracket receiving slots.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved panel holding clip which, in combination with suitably slotted simple rectangular standards, enables panelling, or the like, to be erected economically and conveniently.

It is also an object of this invention to provide an improved panel holding clip which, in combination with suitably slotted standards, permits either single or double Walled structures to be erected with a minimum of effort and at less cost than with conventionally used apparatus.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved panel holding clip which, in combination with suitably slotted standards, securely and positively retain panelling or the like in a desired upright position.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved panel holding clip which can be readily and ICC easily releasably attached at one or more points on a slotted standard without occupying any of the bracket receiving slots thereon.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved panel holding clip which is simple in construction and inexpensive to use.

Briefly, in accordance with one aspect of this invention, there is provided a pair of hollow vertical standards slotted in both the front and side walls thereof, and novel panel clips for maintaining a panel in an upright position between the standards. The clips comprise a channel forming member having a pair of opposed, outwardly bowed, resilient extensions for engaging and interlocking with the slotted side wall of one of the standards. The middle portions of the clip extensions are spaced apart a distance greater than the width of the standard slots, the outer ends thereof are spaced apart a lesser distance than the width of the slots, and the base portions of the clip extensions are spaced apart a lesser distance than the middle portions thereof where the base portions thereof may snugly and resiliently snappingly engage the defining walls of one of the slots. Consequently, the ends of the clip extensions can be easily inserted into a standard slot, and then pivotally forced inwardly to compress the middle portion of the spaced extensions, to bring the sides of the more closely spaced inner ends of the extensions against the defining walls of the slot and an edge portion thereof against the inner wall of the standard, thereby securely locking the clip in place on the standard. In its mounted position, the clip provides a laterally facing channel for receiving a wall panel. The clips readily can be removed by pulling the clip from the standard.

In accordance with a specific aspect of the invention, the clip is formed by a single stamped sheet metal piece where the bowed extensions are struck from a pair of channel-forming side walls of the sheet metal piece, and bent back in the plane of the side walls.

The above and other objects and features of the invention will become apparent upon making reference to the specification to follow, the claims and the drawings, in which:

FIG. l is a view in perspective of one embodiment of the panelling support structure of this invention showing panels being supported thereby;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of an embodiment of a slotted vertical support element or standard and the panel holding unit of this invention;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the embodiment of this invention illustrated in FIG. 2 with the panel holding unit mounted on the standard and showing a portion of a panel adapted to be supported thereby;

FIG. 4 iis a horizontal sec-tional view taken substantially along line 4 4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the support element and panel holding unit combination; and

FIG. 6 is a view in perspective of an embodiment of this invention having utility in erecting double panelled structures.

Referring now in particular to FIG, 1 of the drawings, there is illustrated a typical panelling or wall structure, designated generally at 10, utilizing the apparatus of this invention. The structure 10 comprises panels 11 of any suitable design and composition supported between two g or more substantially hollow vertical support elements or standards 12, on each of which is positioned panel engaging means such as panel holding clips designated at 13. lThe standards 12 are each provided with a plurality of slots 14 in the front wall thereof of conventional size adapted to receive the hooked extension brackets or the like, which serve to support, for instance, shelving or hangrods.

In achieving the objectives of this invention, the standards 12, which may be of any suitable size and shape, advantageously are provided with vertically spaced side slots in which the panel holding clips are mounted. The position and number of the slots 15 placed in the standards may vary considerably. Generally speaking, it is desirable to utilize two or more vertically spaced panel holding clips for each side of the panel to be supported.

Each of the panel holding clips 13 desirably is an integral sheet metal stamping fabricated of a resilient material such as, for example, spring steel. In the preferred embodiment illustrated, the typical panel holding clip 13 of this invention comprises a pair of opposed, hook-like extensions or arms 16-16 which may be conveniently struck from, and constrained or bent in a manner to position then permanently in substantially the same plane as, a pair of opposed channel forming wall portions 17-17 between which the edge portions of a panel 11 are supported. As clearly illustrated in FIG. 4, the arms 16-16 advantageously are curved or bowed outwardly so that the distance between the points of greatest curvature of the arms is greater than the corresponding dimension of the slot 15 in the standard. By bowing the arms 16-16 in this manner, and by providing them with upwardly directed, standard abutting hook-like portions 16-16, the unit 13 may be securely and positively pivotally snapped into position on the standard through the slot 15.

The unit 13 thus formed has an appearance suggestive of that of two U-shaped members of different conguration having a common wall or side portion 18, the substantially parallel channel forming portions 17-17 of the clip having openings 19-19 therein of the general shape of the standard engaging arms 16-16 thereof. Fabrication of the clip 13 in the manner indicated has important economic advantages both from the standpoint of material and manufacturing costs.

In inserting the unit 13 into position on a standard, the upwardly directed hook-like portions 16'-16 of the arms 16-16 are first started through a slot 15, and as the unit is pivoted to bring the hook-like portions into abutting relation to the inner wall of the strandard adjacent the slot, the unit snaps into snug engagement with the standard. Upon insertion of the edge of a panel into the channel formed by the portions 1'7--17, the unit 13 is rigidly held against the side of the standard. The coaction and cooperation of the resilient, hooked arms 16-16 of the unit 13, the panel, and the standards thus provide excellent and effective means for erecting a strong, rigid upright structure.

In those instances where it is desirable to erect a panelling structure of a more permanent nature, such as that illustrated in FIG. 1, the panels 11 may be conveniently secured to the panel holding clips 13 by screws or bolts, not shown. To facilitate such an operation, holes 20--20 may be provided in the channel forming portions 17-17 of the units.

To avoid damage to the panels by the sharp edges of the clip during insertion into the channels of the clips, the extremities 21-21 and the outer vertical edges of the channel forming portions 17-17 may be advantageously flared outwardly slightly as clearly shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 6. In utilizing the apparatus of this invention ,to construct structures of appreciable height, flaring of these exposed edgeV portions has the added advantage of enabling an installer to more easily insert from above, below, or the side, the edges of a panel into the channel formed by the clip while substantially reducing the possibility of marring the panel surface.

The panel holding clips 13, in combination with two or more standards of suitable dimensions, can be utilized in erecting either single or double panelled structures. The structure 10 shown in FIG. 1 is a typical embodiment of a single panelled structure employing the apparatus of this invention. In FIG. 6 there is illustrated a combination having utility in construction a double panelled structure. In the embodiment therein shown, a vertical standard 22 having a slotted side dimension approximately double that of the standard 12 is employed. Two panel holding clips 13 are positioned in side by side relation on the standard 22 through side slots therein. This arrangement permits the erection of double panelled structures of substantially any dimensions with important savings in time, labor and material costs.

Although I have herein described specific embodiments of my invention, various modifications therein will be readily apparent to persons skilled in the art and may be adopted without departing from the spirit and scope of the broader aspects of the invention.

We claim:

In a panel support structure comprising a pair of substantially hollow standards having vertically spaced slots in the sides thereof, and a panel between the standards, the improvement comprising panel holding clips on said standards for maintaining said panel in an upright position between said standards, said clips each comprising a sheet metal stamping having a pair of opposed wall portions forming a laterally facing channel into which the edge portion of said panel extends, and a pair of opposed hooklike extensions struck from said side walls adjacent one end thereof and bent back generally in the planes of said side walls, the vertical extent of said extensions being greater than that of each of said standard sl-ots, the outer ends of said extensions being spaced apart a distance less than the width of said slots to enable said extensions easily to enter a standard slot, the middle portions of said extensions extending outwardly to a point where they are spaced apart a greater distance than the width of said standard slots and the base portions of said extensions being spaced apart a lesser distance than the middle portions of the extensions where the base portions thereof may snugly and resiliently snappingly engage the dening walls of one of the slots, wherein the clips are anchored in place by tilting the clip, inserting the hooklike extensions thereof into a standard slot and then pivoting the same into an upright position and opposite edges of said opposed wall portions of the clip flaring outwardly to facilitate insertion of the panel into the channel formed thereby.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,755,880 4/1930 Keil 20-4 1,931,909 10/1933 Venzie 189-88 2,047,572 7/1936 Balch et al 189-34 2,654,131 10/1953 Poupitch 24-73 RICHARD W. COOKE, IR., Primary Examiner. JACOB L. NACKENOFF, Examiner. 

